The department is hereby vested with the responsibility of acquiring, maintaining and preserving natural areas within the State as a habitat for rare and vanishing species of plant and animal life so that the people of the State may be assured of their right to enjoy the benefits of such areas as places of natural interest and scenic beauty, as a living illustration of the State's original heritage and as a place for scientific study.
N.J.S. § 13:1B-15.5